Units of the 31st air assault brigade were airdropped ahead of notionally seizing the Ashuluk airfield from the simulated enemy to secure the landing of the 98th Guards airborne division’s main forces

ASHULUK FIRING RANGE /Astrakhan Region/, September 16. /TASS/. The airborne troops that arrived at the Ashuluk airfield in the combat exercise Center-2015 drove a simulated enemy from two railway stations where friendly troops are now arriving, Army Deputy Commander-in-Chief Alexander Lentsov said late on Tuesday.

Units of the 31st air assault brigade were airdropped ahead of notionally seizing the Ashuluk airfield from the simulated enemy to secure the landing of the 98th Guards airborne division’s main forces, he said.

The airborne units then drove the simulated enemy from the nearest unloading stations Ashuluk and Tambovka where the 2nd Guards all-arms army’s main forces are arriving.

The paratroops’ mission is to provide security for the concentration of friendly forces in the target area.

"We plan to concentrate formations and units by the end of the day. They will be assigned a task for the forthcoming action. After planning, the 2nd army’s units will start to conduct a special operation together with the airborne troops at the Ashuluk firing range," Lentsov said.

The imaginary enemy will maximize combat conditions for the 2nd army, he said.

"The units will occasionally run into enemy ambushes, pass mined road sections, encounter raids and saboteurs along the route (more than 90 km) as they move from the railway station Tambovka to dispersal areas. The unloading station and avenues of approach are being mined," the Army deputy commander said.

The simulated enemy's reconnaissance teams delivered heavy fire together with hostile artillery groups against the unloading stations even before the main forces were deployed, he added.